Chaining and Virtual Organizations in an Applied Sociological Project Taking Place in Central Pennsylvania

• In Event: 223 - Regular Session. Applied Social Research/Evaluation

Abstract

This paper presents two case studies, linked together as chained projects, that are examples of applied sociology involving university/community partnerships. Our research was partially funded by an ASA/Spivack grant and the projects described include a health-impact assessment and participatory research project about the Affordable Care Act. While the projects described here are an important focus, the paper argues that they are primarily important in showing how a regional, resource exchange network can be set up over a period of decades and how the partnerships that result allow one project to chain into another. We describe the resource exchange network as a “virtual organization” that has intentionality, an internal logic, and a set of actors, both in communities and in universities, who seek to bring university actors to bear on helping o solve community problems.

Authors

• Carl Milofsky, Bucknell University

• Brandn Green, Bucknell University